How many Division 1 basketball teams are there, and which are they?

How many Division 1 basketball teams are there, and which are they?

Helix Odhiambo
updated at June 8, 2023 at 6:09 AM

The NCAA Division 1 basketball is one of the most anticipated tournaments in the United States, featuring the best teams from different states. It is also known as NCAA March Madness. Read on below to know how many Division 1 basketball teams are there in the current format and how they qualify for the tournament.

How many Division 1 basketball teams are there?
The Connecticut Huskies celebrate winning the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship after defeating San Diego State in the final at NRG Stadium on 3 April 2023 in Houston, Texas. Photo: Mitchell Layton
Source: Getty Images

Match Madness is a highly-competitive single-elimination tournament that has existed for over 50 years. It has produced some of the most elite and talented college basketball athletes who won the championship before concurring the NBA. So, how many Division 1 women's basketball teams are there?

History of Division 1 basketball

Ohio State's head coach Harold Olsen organised the first-ever men's NCAA Division I tournament in 1939. It began with only eight participants, with the Oregon Ducks winning the first competition. The number doubled to 16 in 1951 before expanding to 64 in 1985.

How many teams are in Div 1 basketball?

The men's Match Madness has 68 teams. The number rose from 64 to 65 after the Mountain West Conference joined the NCAA Division I tournament. Three more sides joined in 2011, making it 68. It is one of the most-watched sporting events in 2023.

How many NCAA Division 1 women's basketball teams are there?

How many NCCA Division 1 women's basketball teams are there?
The Louisville Cardinals line up for the National Anthem before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the Elite Eight round of the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Climate Pledge Arena on 26 March 2023 in Seattle, Washington. Photo: C. Morgan Engel
Source: Getty Images

The women's tournament began in 1982 and has grown in popularity and representation. It had 64 teams until 2022 when NCAA expanded it to 68.

Who can make the tournament?

The competition comprises 32 winners of the basketball conferences, who earn an automatic qualification, and 36 others picked by the selection committee. The 64 participants are seeded and grouped into four regions; the East, West, Midwest, and South. Winners of each group proceed to the semi-final, and then the last two play the final to determine the champion.

How many division basketball teams are there?

The NCAA has three division levels: Division I, II, and III. Over 300 sides play in the three divisions, with more than 300,000 college students playing.

Division 1 basketball schools by state in 2023

How many Division 1 basketball teams are there in Texas?
Players from the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders celebrate a win over the Southern Missouri State Redhawks during the First Four rounds of the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on 14 March 2023 in Dayton, Ohio. Photo: Tyler Schank
Source: Getty Images

How many Division 1 men's basketball teams are there in each state? Texas has the most NCAA Division 1 men's basketball teams in 2023. The tournament has representation from 38 states across the US, including California, Iowa, and North Carolina, with more than two teams in the competition.

How many Division 1 basketball teams are there in Texas?

Texas has seven, while California has five. Iowa and North Carolina have three each. States without representation are Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

State

NCAA Division 1 basketball teams

Alabama

Alabama, Auburn

Arizona

Arizona, Arizona State, Grand Canyon

Arkansas

Arkansas

California

Saint Mary's, San Diego State, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, USC

Connecticut

UConn

Florida

Florida Atlantic, Miami

Georgia

Kennesaw State

Idaho

Boise State

Illinois

Illinois, Northwestern

Indiana

Indiana, Purdue

Iowa

Drake, Iowa, Iowa State

Kansas

Kansas, Kansas State

Kentucky

Kentucky, Northern Kentucky

Louisiana

Louisiana

Maryland

Maryland

Michigan

Michigan State

Mississippi

Mississippi State

Missouri

Missouri, Southeast Missouri

Montana

Montana State

Nebraska

Creighton

Nevada

Nevada

New Jersey

Fairleigh Dickinson, Princeton

New York

Colgate, Iona

North Carolina

Duke, NC State, UNC Asheville

Ohio

Kent State, Xavier

Oklahoma

Oral Roberts

Pennsylvania

Penn State, Pitt

Rhode Island

Providence

South Carolina

College of Charleston, Furman

Tennessee

Memphis, Tennessee

Texas

Baylor, Houston, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas A&M-CC, Texas Southern

Utah

Utah State

Vermont

Vermont

Virginia

VCU, Virginia

Washington

Gonzaga

Washington, DC

Howard

West Virginia

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Marquette

How many college basketball teams are there in all divisions

College basketball has gained popularity for producing many NBA stars. So, how many Division 1 basketball teams are there in college? There are 363 college basketball sides for the 2022-23 season, up from 358 in 2021-22. The basketball franchises come from different regions in the US.

Who has the most championships?

NCAA Division 1 men's basketball teams
The UCLA Bruins bench reacts during their game against the Northwestern Wildcats in the 2023 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on 18 March 2023 in Sacramento, California. Photo: Jed Jacobsohn
Source: Getty Images

UCLA from California has won the most championships (11) in men's college basketball history. Kentucky has eight, while North Carolina has won six titles. Others are Duke, Indiana, and Uconn, with five each, while Kansas has four.

UConn leads with 11 championships in women's basketball, followed by Tennessee with eight. Stanford and Baylor have three each, while South Carolina Gamecocks, Louisiana Tech, Notre Dame, and USC have twice won the women's championship.

Current champions

How many Division 1 women's basketball teams are there?
Louisiana State Tigers players pose with the trophy after winning the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament National Championship at American Airlines Center on 2 April 2023 in Dallas, Texas. Photo: C. Morgan Engel
Source: Getty Images

UConn's men's side took home the trophy for the fifth time in the school's history. They defeated San Diego 76-59 in the final on 3 April 2023 at NRG Stadium in Houston. The women's category saw LSU Tigers lift their first championship after overcoming Iowa, 102-85, on 2 April 2023.

How many Division 1 basketball teams are there? The men's and women's NCAA Match Madness comprises 68 participants from different regions. With the 2023 season done, coaches and players will now focus on qualifying for the next edition in 2024.

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Helix Odhiambo photo
Helix Odhiambo
Helix Odhiambo is an award-winning Kenyan journalist and content creator with over 6 years of experience. In 2016, he won the Goal Blaze Correspondent Award for young writers.